Supplying draught beverages

ABSTRACT

Draft beverage is cooled in a cooling water tank in a cooling unit under a drinks bar. It is then cooled in a thermoelectric cooler, and transferred to a font in pipe which is surrounded in a water jacket of cooling water from the tank. The water jacket is connected to a further water jacket for a tube of cooling water which is also supplied to the font for cooling a glass into which the beverage will be dispensed. The waterjacket keeps the beverage in the pipe cool, but above freezing point, when it is static prior to dispense.

This invention relates to supplying draught beverages, and, moreparticularly to a method of supplying cooled draught beverage andapparatus for supplying cooled draught beverage.

It is known, for example from International Publication No. WO99/60092(International Application No. PCT/GB99/01551) to supply cooled draughtbeverage to a vessel.

An aim of the invention is to provide a method of supplying draughtbeverage which may be performed by using an apparatus to supply draughtbeverage wherein the overall size of a cooling module of the apparatuscan be of smaller size than would normally hitherto be required so thatthe overall size of the cooling module can be reduced; said coolingmodule, for example receiving draught beverage from a supply, forexample through a python, and the module cooling or further cooling thereceived beverage and then supplying it, for example, on demand, to anoutlet, for example a beverage nozzle, which may be included in a fontwhich may be mounted, for example, on a counter of a drinks' bar. It isknown to mount cooling modules in the vicinity of a bar, thus thesmaller the module (and the less its heat output into the barenvironment) the better.

Another aim is to provide an apparatus to supply draught beverage,wherein said apparatus has comparatively few moving parts.

A further aim is to provide an apparatus to supply draught beverage,wherein although the beverage is cooled prior to delivery from abeverage nozzle into a vessel (for example a drinking vessel), the needto keep the prior cooled beverage circulating when no delivery from thenozzle is being demanded is avoided and thus the apparatus need have nocirculation loop; also in a case where the nozzle is included in a font,the font need not comprise or include a heat exchanger to apply finalcooling to the beverage just before it emerges from the nozzle.

A yet further aim is to provide a method of dispensing a beverage havinga dissolved gas content (one example being beer, for example lager)wherein fobbing is reduced.

According to an aspect of the invention a method of supplying cooleddraught beverage comprises supercooling the beverage at a cooling means,conveying the beverage from the cooling means to an outlet fordispensing through a passage means in which some of the beverage hasbeen static prior to being dispensed.

Preferably the supercooling is carried out using a thermoelectriceffect.

The method may comprise cooling the beverage using a volume of liquidcoolant.

In a case where the beverage has a dissolved gas content, saidsupercooling can reduce fobbing of the dispensed beverage in the vessel.

The beverage may be supercooled to at least substantially 1.5° C. belowits freezing point at the ambient atmospheric pressure, for example toat least substantially 2.0° C. below said freezing point. The beveragemay be supercooled to a temperature in a range of substantially 1.5° C.to 2.5° C. below the freezing point of the beverage at the ambientatmospheric pressure, for example, in a range of substantially 2.0° C.to 2.5° C. below said freezing point. The beverage issuing from theoutlet may enter the vessel in a supercooled state.

The extraction of heat from the beverage using the Peltier effect may bea heat removal step taking the beverage into the supercooled state. Inthe case where the beverage has a water content and a dissolved gascontent cooling the beverage being dispensed to below 0° C. can reducefobbing.

The beverage may be cooled to a temperature below −3.0° C. For example,the beverage may be cooled to a temperature of at least substantially−4.0° C., or to a temperature below substantially −4.0° C., or to atemperature of substantially −4.5° C., or to a temperature in a range ofsubstantially −3.5° C. to substantially −4.5° C., for example a range ofsubstantially −4.0° C. to substantially −4.5° C.

The present invention provides a method of supplying cooled draughtbeverage to a vessel comprising moving draught beverage along a conduitarrangement to an outlet from which the beverage can be dispensed, andcooling the draught beverage in the course of its travel along theconduit arrangement, said cooling comprising using a volume of liquidcoolant to extract heat from the beverage and using a thermoelectriceffect to extract heat from the beverage.

The beverage may be cooled by the coolant.

Said coolant may be water.

The draught beverage may be cooled by said volume of liquid coolantprior to experiencing cooling by the thermoelectric effect.

Subsequent or prior to experiencing cooling by the thermoelectric effectthe cooled draught beverage may be exposed, between the outlet and athermoelectric cooling region wherein the thermoelectric effect occurs,to thermal contact with said liquid coolant.

Said liquid coolant may be in a liquid coolant beverage jacket, throughwhich the beverage is passed, when it experiences said thermal contact.The liquid coolant may be circulated between said beverage jacket andsaid volume of liquid coolant.

Heat extracted from the beverage by said thermoelectric effect may beremoved by said liquid coolant, for example after the liquid coolant hasbeen in said thermal contact with the beverage.

Preferably the beverage is cooled by the thermoelectric effect at athermoelectric cooling region, and the beverage is conveyed from thethermoelectric cooling region to the outlet through passage means inwhich some of the beverage has been static prior to being dispensed.

More preferably the beverage is dispensed in at least one predeterminedvolume and the volume of the beverage which has been static in saidpassage means is significantly less than said at least one predeterminedvolume.

A chilling liquid may be cooled by the liquid coolant and applied to theexterior of a vessel into which the beverage is dispensed.

Preferably the chilling liquid is cooled by passage through the volumeof coolant. The chilling liquid may also be brought into thermal contactwith the liquid coolant while the coolant is in a coolant conduit, forexample, by means of a chilling liquid jacket, which may be the beveragejacket.

Alternatively it may be separate, in which case the chilling liquidjacket is preferably in fluid communication with the beverage jacket.

Preferably the same cooling conduit is in thermal contact with thechilling liquid and the beverage.

Preferably the cooling conduits are in fluid communication with eachother

Conveniently liquid coolant may be circulated from said volume of liquidcoolant through the or each coolant conduit, for example, the or eachsaid jacket, for example the liquid coolant from said volume may passthrough the chilling liquid jacket before passing through the beveragejacket.

Preferably liquid coolant from said volume of liquid coolant iscirculated for removal of heat extracted from the beverage by thethermoelectric effect, preferably after passing through said jacket orjackets.

The temperature of the beverage cooled by the thermoelectric effect maybe measured, and the dispense of the beverage is inhibited until themeasured temperature is reduced to at least a predetermined value.

Said pre-determined value may be in the range of substantially −4.0° C.to substantially −4.5° C.

The beverage may be alcoholic or non-alcoholic. For example it may havean alcoholic strength of substantially 5% alcohol by volume.

Preferably, before experiencing the thermoelectric effect, the draughtbeverage is cooled by the liquid coolant to a temperature in a range ofsubstantially 1.5° C. to substantially 0.5° C.

The draught beverage may be cooled to a temperature in a range ofsubstantially −4.0° C. to substantially −4.5° C. by the thermoelectriceffect.

The beverage may be delivered to said volume at a temperature in therange of substantially 6.0° C. to substantially 8° C.

The liquid coolant in said volume may be at a temperature ofsubstantially 0° C. The liquid coolant supplied to a said jacket mayalso be at a temperature of substantially 0° C.

The thermoelectric effect may be the Peltier effect.

Preferably the volume of cooling liquid is contained in a tank.

The present invention further provides apparatus for supplying cooledbeverage to a vessel, the apparatus comprising cooling means for coolingthe beverage and passage means for conveying the beverage from thecooling means to an outlet, wherein the apparatus is arranged todispense the beverage in at least one predetermined volume, and thepassage means has a volumetric capacity which is substantially less thansaid at least one predetermined volume.

The present invention further provides apparatus for supplying cooleddraught beverage to a vessel, the apparatus comprising a coolant tank,thermoelectric cooling means and an outlet from which beverage can bedispensed, a first conduit extending from the coolant tank and beingarranged to supply beverage to the cooling means; and a second conduitarranged to transfer beverage from the cooling means to the outlet.

The apparatus may include a compact unit comprising said tank and saidthermoelectric means, which compact unit may further compriserefrigeration means for cooling coolant for the tank and/or at least apart of a control system for controlling operation of the apparatus.

The compact unit may, for example, be mountable under a counter top of adrinks bar, and may conveniently be disposed within a real or imaginaryenvelope of a substantially parallelepiped shape, preferably having avolume of less than 0.5 m³ and also preferably having a weight of lessthan substantially 50 kg.

The outlet may comprise a nozzle mounted on a font, and the font may bemountable on a drinks bar.

The second conduit may form at least part of a passage means forconveying the draught beverage substantially directly from thethermoelectric cooling means substantially directly to said outlet.

Preferably the apparatus is arranged to dispense the beverage in atleast one predetermined volume, and the passage means has a volumetriccapacity which is substantially less than said at least onepredetermined volume.

The passage means preferably has a capacity of less than substantially30 ml, more preferably less than 20 ml, and still more preferably lessthan substantially 15 ml. It also preferably has a length of less than 5m, more preferably less than substantially 3 m.

The apparatus preferably includes coolant carrying means arranged tocarry the liquid coolant such that it extracts heat from saidthermoelectric means and is returned to the tank.

Preferably at least part of the second conduit is arranged to be inthermal contact with the liquid coolant from the tank.

Preferably said part of the second section is surrounded by a liquidcoolant jacket which forms a beverage jacket.

Preferably the first or second conduit comprises the first conduit.

The apparatus may further comprise a nozzle arranged for directing atleast one jet of chilled cooling water onto a said vessel. In this casethe apparatus preferably also includes a cooling water conduit forconveying the cooling water, the conduit extending, at least in part, inthermal contact with the liquid coolant to cool said cooling water.

At least part of the cooling water conduit is preferably surrounded by ajacket of the liquid coolant forming a cooling water jacket, in whichthe liquid coolant may be arranged to flow.

Preferably liquid coolant can flow from the tank into the cooling waterjacket and therefrom into the beverage jacket.

Preferably liquid coolant can flow in the thermoelectric cooling meansto carry heat away therefrom and return to the tank.

The apparatus may further comprise cooling water leak detection means todetect an undesired flow of said cooling water along the cooling waterconduit. It may also further comprise valve means to stop supply ofcooling water along said cooling water conduit in the event of detectionof said undesired flow.

The liquid coolant may be water.

The apparatus may further comprise ultra-sound emitting means to subjectbeverage dispensed by the apparatus to ultra-sound signals.

The apparatus may further comprise means to rotate said vessel.

The invention will now be further described, by way of example, withreference to the accompanying drawings in which

FIG. 1 is a diagram of an apparatus to supply cooled draught beverageaccording to the a first embodiment of the invention,

FIG. 2 is a diagram of an apparatus according to a second embodiment ofthe invention; and

FIG. 2 a shows a section through a conduit forming part of the apparatusof FIG. 2.

Referring to FIG. 1, apparatus to supply and dispense cooled draughtbeverage is indicated at 2. The draught beverage may be non-alcoholic oralcoholic and may have a water content and/or a dissolved gas content,which dissolved gas content may be or comprise carbon dioxide ornitrogen or comprise a mixture thereof.

Suitable draught alcoholic beverages may be, for example, cider or aflavoured alcoholic beverage or beer. The beer may be lager, ale, stoutor porter.

The draught beverage may be stored in a bulk state, for example in acask or tank, under relatively cool conditions, for example atsubstantially 11° C. to substantially 13° C., in, for example, a cellarand may be propelled from store, by for example gas pressure and/or pumpmeans, along a pipe or product line 4 to a coupling 6 to a beveragecooling unit or module 8 having an outer casing comprising a casing body10A and a casing cover 10B. The product line 4 may form part of a knownpython for cooling the beverage in the product line such that thebeverage arriving at the cooling module may be at a temperature in arange of substantially 6° C. to substantially 12° C.

Within the casing 10A, 10B are:

-   -   (i) a liquid coolant tank 12 containing liquid coolant 14,        preferably water,    -   (ii) a refrigerating or cooling coil 16 (within an ice mantle        18) to cool the water 14 and being part of a refrigerating        system further comprising a compressor and expansion valve unit        20 and a condensor/heat exchanger 22 to emit heat adjacent to        vent 24 in the casing,    -   (iii) a thermoelectric cooler 26 using the Peltier effect to        produce cooling, and    -   (iv) a controller 28 including electrical and electronic        constituents of an electrical control system of the apparatus 2.

A beverage cooling tube 30, which may be in the form of a coil or loop,is for at least part of its length immersed in the water 14 and isconnected at one end to the product line 4 through connector 6 and atits other end to a beverage passage through the thermoelectric cooler26. Included in beverage tube 30 is metering means 31, for example ametering turbine, used in the making of a volumetric measure of beveragebeing dispensed by the apparatus and sending signals representative ofthe measurement to the controller system.

A font indicated at 32 is provided and may be mounted in or adjacent toa drinks' bar, for example on a bar counter, to dispense beverage whichissues, when desired when the apparatus is in use, from a nozzle 34 intoa vessel G, which can be a drinking vessel, for example a glass,removably standing on a platform 36 with which the font is alsoprovided; said platform being rotatable by motor means (not shown) torotate the glass during beverage dispense. The font 32 also includes acontrol valve 38 which is opened to allow beverage to issue from thenozzle 34 and closeable to stop dispense of beverage, a control key-pad40, and a nozzle 42 to direct a spray or one or more jets of chilledcooling water onto an exterior of glass G at some desired time during abeverage dispense procedure. The font 32 may also comprise means to emitultra sound at a desired time under control of the control system.

A flexible line or tube 44 extends from a beverage outlet from thethermoelectric cooler 26 to a connector 46, at or adjacent to the font32 to supply beverage to the control valve 38.

A water cooling tube 50, which may be in the form of a coil or loop, isfor at least part of its length immersed in the water 14 and isconnected at one end to a normally open cut-off valve 52 connected to asupply 54 of water at mains pressure. At its other end the water coolingtube 50 is connected at 56 to a flexible water line or tube 58 supplyingnozzle 42 with chilled water to spray on the outside of a glass G tocool the latter as the water streams over the glass's exterior. Anormally closed chill valve 60 is included in tube 58 and is connectedto the control system which opens the chill valve 60 when a chilledwater spray is required. A water flow detector (not shown) is providedto observe water flow from the water supply 54 when the chill valve 60is closed or the control system thinks that the valve is closed. Underthose circumstances such water flow is a fault and undesired, and mayresult in flooding. Thus when said flow detector signals the controlsystem that water flow is being observed, the control system operates tocause the valve 52 to close and stop any water flow into the tube 58from the supply 54.

Tank 12 is provided with motor 62 continuously driving (i) a water pump64 and (ii) a stirrer comprising a rotating paddle 66 to continuouslystir the water 14 in the tank whilst the pump continuously pumps coldwater from the tank along pipe 67 into an end of a tube-in-tube cooleror tubular water jacket 68 surrounding a greater part of the length ofthe cooling water tube 58 and bringing the water from the tank intothermal contact with the cooling water for chilling the glass. At itsother end the water jacket 68 has a conduit 70 supplying the cold wateroutput into an end of another tube-in-tube cooler or water jacket 72surrounding a greater part of the beverage tube 44, and bringing thewater from the tank into thermal contact with the beverage. Cold wateroutput from the other end of the water jacket 72 is supplied along pipe74 into the thermoelectric cooler 26 to flow therethrough and act ascoolant carrying away heat from an arrangement of hot Peltier junctions;the water discharging from the cooler 26 through outlet pipe 76 into thetank 12.

The water 14 in tank 12 is cooled to a suitable desired temperature, forexample substantially 0° C., and it is substantially at that temperaturethat it passes in succession through the jacket 68 and jacket 72 to thethermoelectric cooler 26.

The control keypad 40, which comprises three push-buttons, is connectedto the controller 28. Pressing one push button 40 a causes apparatus 2to operate and open and close the control valve 38 as appropriate andautomatically deliver substantially a first pre-determined measuredvolume of beverage, for example one pint (0.571) from nozzle 34,pressing another of the push buttons 40 b causes the apparatusautomatically to deliver another different second pre-determinedmeasured volume, for example one half-pint (0.281) from the nozzle 34,whilst pressing and releasing the third push button 40 c operates thecontroller 28 to open and close the dispense valve 38 in time withdepression or release of the button to supply squirts of topping upbeverage.

When dispense of a desired predetermined volume of beverage is desired,a glass G is placed on the platform 36 and the appropriate button onkeypad 40 pressed. This causes the controller 28 to operate so that theapparatus automatically goes through a beverage dispense cycle. In thisthe platform 36 is started to rotate and does so continuously until thecycle ends, and the valve 60 is opened for a desired predetermined time,for example five seconds or longer, so that the chilling water spray isdirected onto the outside of the glass G for that time to cool theglass, the chilling water issuing from the nozzle 42 may be attemperatures of substantially 2° C. Then the control system causes thedispense valve 38 to open to deliver automatically a desiredpredetermined volume of the beverage into the glass G. Thethermoelectric cooler 26 can be arranged to cool the beverage such thatthe beverage is supercooled, for example to a temperature below 0° C.and supercooled beverage may issue into the glass G. The beverage, whichissues from the nozzle 34 may be supercooled to a temperature at leastsubstantially 1.5° C. below the freezing point of the beverage atambient atmospheric pressure, for example to at least substantially 2.0°C. below said freezing point. The beverage may be supercooled to atemperature in a range of substantially 1.5° C. to 2.5° C. below thefreezing point of the beverage at the ambient atmospheric pressure, forexample in a range of substantially 2.0° C. to 2.5° C. below saidfreezing point. The thermoelectric cooler 26 can be arranged to cool thebeverage to a temperature (at which temperature the beverage may issueinto the glass G) to below −3.0° C., for example in a range ofsubstantially −3.5° C. to −4.5° C. or more particularly in a range ofsubstantially −4.0° C. to −4.5° C.

The controller 28 may be arranged so that beverage is not delivered fromthe nozzle 34 (i.e. the nozzle is held closed) until a temperaturesensor in the thermoelectric cooler 26 senses that a temperature thereinis lowered to a desired predetermined value (or is lowered to lie withina predetermined temperature range) sufficient to ensure that liquidbeverage is output from the thermoelectric cooler in a desiredsupercooled state.

The amount of beverage dispensed into the glass G is measured by thebeverage metering means 31 which sends volume measurement data to thecontrol system. When a predetermined fraction of the total desiredvolume of beverage being served in the glass G has been dispensed, forexample substantially 99% and measured by metering means 31 the beveragedispense cycle continues for the final fraction of the desired measuredamount, for example the final 1% of beverage, to be delivered into glassG and during this final delivery the control system causes the flow ofbeverage to be exposed automatically to an ultrasound signal for adesired predetermined time period. The beverage metering means 31indicates to the controller 28 when the full desired predeterminedamount of beverage has been dispensed (say one pint or 0.671) and thecontroller 28 operates to close the dispense valve 38 thereby stoppingdelivery to the glass. When the controller 28 recognises that thedesired amount of beverage has been dispensed, the it causes the chillvalve 60 to open for a predetermined time, which may be relativelyshort, whereby chilled water as before is sprayed from the nozzle 42onto the exterior of the glass G.

When the water spray is over, the control system causes platform 36 tostop rotating and the glass of beverage may be lifted away from the font32.

The glass chilling water which may be emitted from the nozzle 42 at atemperature of substantially 2° C. may leave the tank 12 at atemperature of substantially 0.5° C.

There may be some heat transfer through the walls of the tubes 44 and 58even though each may be of material normally thought of as insulating,for example a plastic material. The beverage tube 44 may be ofrelatively short length between the thermocooler 26 and the font 32, forexample approximately 2.5 m in length and may have a relatively small(very small) internal volume, for example substantially 15 ml, and maytherefore have an internal cross sectional area of about 6 mm².

When the apparatus 2 is not delivering beverage to the nozzle 34, theliquid beverage may stand in the tube 44 ready for dispense. In thisstatic state the beverage temperature will generally rise so as to behigher than the desired dispense temperature, since, although thebeverage is being kept cool by the water continuously passing throughthe jacket 72 at about 0° C. this is higher than the supercooleddispense temperature, and also just higher than the freezing point ofthe beverage, which in this case is about −2° C. Warming the staticsupercooled beverage to this temperature therefore helps to ensure thatbeverage which is static in the tube 44 does not freeze. But the volumeof beverage standing in the tube 44 is so small (in comparison to adesired measured delivered volume) that when the control system issatisfied that the thermoelectric cooler 26 is operating so that it willgive a beverage output at the desired supercooled temperature, theapparatus starts to dispense beverage and the small volume of highertemperature beverage is overwhelmed in glass G by the much larger volumeat the desired lower temperature so the total measured volume is atsubstantially the desired lower temperature.

A beverage may arrive at the water tank 14, through the python at thebeverage temperature of substantially 6° C. to 12° C., and the beveragemay emerge from the tank and enter the thermocooler 26 at a beveragetemperature of substantially 0.5° C. to 1.5° C. The thermoelectriccooler 26 may operate such that beverage emerges from the cooler 26 at abeverage temperature of substantially −4.0° C. to −4.5° C. for supply tothe font 32; the thermoelectric cooler 26 when operating may havePeltier effect cold junctions at a temperature in a desired range ofsubstantially −4.0° C. to −7.0° C. and this range being observable bythe aforesaid thermostat means. Such a beverage may be a beer, forexample a lager, which may have a strength of substantially 5% a.b.v.The cooler 26 may only operate when a signal from the keypad 40indicates that beverage dispense is being required, otherwise, whenbeverage dispense is not required, timing means in the control systemmay shut off the thermoelectric cooler.

The aforedescribed unit or module 8 is compact and relatively light inweight. For example the casing 10A, 10B may be of parallelepiped shapesubstantially 790 mm long (or wide)×substantially 470 mmdeep×substantially 355 mm high. The weight of the module including thecasing 10A, 10B (and including or not including the coolant 14) may beless than 50 kg, for example substantially 45 kg. Such a module may bemountable on a shelf, for example in a drinks' bar area, and/or under abar counter. A further advantage is that the module 8 has few movingparts, and no beverage cooling heat exchanger or cooler is required ator adjacent to the font 32. Also, since the beverage in the tube 44 isstatic when beverage dispense is not required, pumps and other controlswhich would normally be used in beverage circulation are not needed, andif the beverage is a beer, for example a lager, beer quality may beimproved by the avoidance of circulation. Furthermore, complexelectronic controls are now mainly to be found in the control box 28 inthe module 8 and not in the font 32.

FIG. 2 shows a second embodiment of the invention. This embodiment issimilar to the first in some aspects, and corresponding components areindicated by the same reference numeral increased by 100. The maindifference in the second embodiment is in the position of thethermoelectric cooler 126 and the method of transfer of beverage andcooling liquid to the font 132.

The thermoelectric cooler 126 is positioned adjacent to the font 126 andremote from the coolant tank 112 which is placed under the bar counteras in the previous embodiment. The beverage tube 130, after passingthrough the coolant tank 112, leads to the thermoelectric cooler 126 viaa python 180 which is shown in section in FIG. 2 a and is made up of anumber of parallel tubes housed in an insulating covering 182. Thecoolant feed pipe 167 from the tank 112 to the thermoelectric cooler126, and the coolant return pipe 176 from the thermoelectric cooler 126back to the tank 112 form two further pipes in the python 180. Thecooling water feed tube 158 makes up the fourth tube in the python 180.The python 180 therefore extends over a substantial part of the distancefrom the tank 112 to the font 132. The beverage tube 144 from thethermoelectric cooler 126 to the nozzle 134 is relatively short, whichhas the advantage that the volume of beverage which remains static inthe feed tube between subsequent dispense cycles is relatively small. Inthis region of the beverage tube 144 the supercooled static beverage iswarmed to a temperature above its freezing point by virtue of being inthermal contact with air at ambient temperature. The python 180 cantherefore be longer than the jacketed tube sections in the firstembodiment without significantly affecting beverage quality andtemperature. In this embodiment the python is 5 m long. Because thetubes 144, 158, 167, 176 in the python are in thermal contact with eachother and thermally insulated by the covering 182 the beverage and thecooling water in the python are kept cool by the liquid coolant 114. Asin the first embodiment the liquid coolant also removes heat from thethermoelectric cooler 126 and returns it to the coolant tank.

It will be appreciated that the python conduit of the second embodimentcould be used in place of the cooling jacket conduit arrangement of thefirst embodiment, and vice versa.

1. A method of dispensing a dispensed volume of cooled beverage into adrinking vessel comprising: (i) cooling beverage in a cooling region ofa beverage supply line leading to a dispense tap from which saidbeverage is dispensed, said cooling region of said supply line having arelatively small volume in comparison with said dispensed volume; (ii)reducing the cooling of beverage provided at said cooling region duringa non-dispense period of operation of said tap, thereby allowingbeverage held in said cooling region of said beverage supply line towarm up under the influence of ambient temperature after said firstdispense operation has ended, said warmed up beverage comprisingretained beverage in said cooling region; (iii) dispensing in a seconddispense operation another dispensed volume of said beverage into a saiddrinking vessel via said dispense tap; increasing cooling of saidbeverage provided by said dispense region in said second dispenseoperation in comparison with cooling provided by said cooling regionduring said non-dispense period, said dispensed volume of dispensed intosaid drinking vessel comprising said retained beverage and alsoadditional beverage which has passed through said cooling region duringsaid second dispense operation and has been cooled in said coolingregion, said additional beverage being dispensed at a cooler temperaturethan that at which said retained volume is dispensed, and the volumes ofsaid retained volume and said additional volume being such that saiddispensed volume of beverage dispensed in said second dispense operationhas a temperature that is substantially unaffected by the temperaturedifference between said retained volume when it is dispensed and saidadditional volume when it is dispensed.